Proverbs 29

Give me a tender heart, Lord, so that I might learn from correction.

It is pitiful to watch someone who will not learn. We have a God who is so patient. He is full of wisdom and compassion, and He is willing to teach us. It is such a senseless waste of passion to be stubborn in the pursuit of error.

A stubborn man not only hurts himself. He makes life difficult for those around him. But a man who rejoices in the Lord and serves Him with the gifts that he has been given can bring great blessing to a city.

But even a perfectly righteous man will not make everyone happy. Many people who imagine that they are right with God on their own terms will be full of envy when they meet a man who seeks to rejoice in the Lord and serve Him according to His Word. Consider the envy of the Pharisees when the sinless Son of God came to save the ungodly. They were indignant. They hated Him.

But Christ continued in His love for the weak despite the violent opposition He faced from powerful religious men. Now His throne is established forever.

In this fallen world the wicked may seem to increase without end, but a day is coming when our Righteous King will return. On that great day His victory will be manifestly complete.

Our great Leader is with us even now by His Holy Spirit. We do well to consider the Word that He brings to us and to observe everything that He has commanded.

And when He disciplines us, we can remember that His way with us is always full of grace. We need to reject any remaining stubbornness within us and receive His guidance with an eager heart.

Even through tears we can know that our God is not against us. Remember the cross and the resurrection. Best to be lowly in spirit in the day of affliction. Honor will surely come to the one who is able to obey the voice of the Lord.